The foodies among you may remember back in July, when California’s ban on the sale of Foie Gras kicked in, some restaurants were continuing to sell the duck/goose livers by “gifting” them to customers as part of a larger meal. But the folks at PETA think it’s against the law to give away foie gras, and are willing to prove their case in court. [More]
restaurants
Restaurant Tells Off Displeased Customer On Facebook: “You Must Enjoy Vomit”
By 11.28.12
If there’s one thing we know about running a restaurant (which is really not much), we know it’s probably not going to turn out well when you attack a displeased customer via social media, even if they hit first. A Boston restaurant dealt with a woman who posted on its Facebook page that part of her meal “literally tasted like vomit” with a tirade of its own, reportedly by the chef, accusing her of enjoying vomit since she knows what it tastes like. [More]
“Stop Eating” Is Not The Kind Of Tip You Should Leave Your Applebee’s Waitress
By 11.21.12
Leaving a $0 tip on a $30 bill at Applebee’s is bad enough. But then taking the effort to write “Stop Eating B*tch!” as a “tip” is crossing the line from being a bad consumer into being a horrible human being. [More]
Waitress Gets Crafty, Creates Sippy Cup For Adult Who Spilled Drink
By 11.16.12 — Updated: 11.17.12
Anyone who has ever spilled a large drink at a restaurant knows how humiliating it can be as everyone flees the spill and then dives in to mop up the mess. But is it a good or bad thing when the waitress brings you a replacement drink with a lid secured by tape? [More]
Is It Ever Acceptable For Waiters To Be Unpleasant?
By 11.13.12
The “snooty waiter” who looks down his nose with disdain at his customers is a character that has been trotted out on film and TV too many times to count. But while we may not blink when we see this well-known caricature on screen, it’s a different story when that same snob is taking your lunch order. [More]
Sign At Denny’s Says It Won’t Honor Veterans Day Giveaway. Restaurant Says It Has No Idea How Sign Got There
By 11.12.12
There’s scandal and mystery surrounding the Denny’s in North Pekin, IL, today after a sign appeared on the restaurant’s door saying it wouldn’t be honoring the previously advertised pancake giveaway for Veterans Day. But the restaurant says it has no idea who put that sign on the door. [More]
Hurricane-Damaged Restaurant Sells “Junk Bonds” To Pay For Rebuilding
By 11.12.12
In the world of finance, junk bonds are high-yield, high-risk investments. But a restaurant in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood, which was particularly hard-hit by Hurricane Sandy, is selling “junk bonds” that offer no return on your investment other than a decent meal and a good feeling that you’re helping a local business rebuild. [More]
Restaurant Stays Open But Admits: “Yeah, We’re Infested With Cockroaches Right Now”
By 10.31.12
It’s rare that a restaurant would even want to publicly acknowledge it has a pest problem — after all, no one wants to associate bugs with the food business — however, a California eatery has gone so far as to not only inform its patrons that it’s been infested by German cockroaches, but it also reported itself to the county health department. [More]
TGI Friday’s Has A Very High Opinion Of Their Waitstaff
By 10.29.12
Mike has no complaints about his recent visit to TGI Friday’s. Really, he doesn’t. The only thing that prompted him to write to Consumerist was one little blurb at the bottom of his receipt, which provided handy recommended tips. That’s very useful. If the standard gratuity in the United States is supposed to be 15%, though, why does this scale start at 18%? [More]
Would Chipotle Be The Same With Drive-Thru Windows?
By 10.25.12
To many Chipotle customers, part of the reason for going to the restaurant chain is that you get to watch your burritos and bowls made to order right in front of you, but the company apparently needs to bring in new customers and thinks that adding drive-thru windows might help. [More]
Mistaking A Table For Your Own Private Bedroom Will Displease Fellow Restaurant Patrons
By 10.23.12 — Updated: 10.24.12
Nothing ruins a pleasant family dinner like the couple at the next table who simply won’t stop getting down to bedroom business in front of everyone. Or at least the parents at nearby tables on the patio of a Florida restaurant felt their dining experiences were negatively affected when a man and woman began “having sex on a table in view of minor children.” [More]
Denny’s Is Really Hoping You All Want To Chow Down On Hobbit Food
By 10.23.12
Given the runaway success of the three Lord of the Rings films, marketers are banking that Peter Jackson’s return to Middle Earth with the first part of The Hobbit will be equally lucrative. Which is why you’ll soon be seeing an actual Hobbit tie-in menu at Denny’s. [More]
Restaurant Says ‘No Pets,’ Tries To Make Iraq Vet And Her Service Dog Leave
By 10.22.12
Melissa is a war veteran who has post-traumatic stress disorder and is able to function with the help of a service dog trained to help vets like her. She and her husband were recently strongly encouraged to leave a restaurant where they had dined with the dog before. No matter what kinds of documents or federal government websites she showed, the waitress, manager, and owner all insisted that the dog needed to leave…without actually telling the couple to get out of the establishment. [More]
Restaurant Owners Unite To Snare Free-Lunch Scam Artist
By 10.22.12
There are hundreds of restaurants in St. Louis, which would seem like a ton of potential targets for a scam artist. But one bad consumer didn’t take into account that the owners of these eateries actually know each other — and that they talk about the customers who try to pull one over on them. [More]
Trigger-Happy Restaurant Owner Definitely Does Not Think The Customer Is Always Right
By 10.17.12 — Updated: 10.24.12
Disputes with customers are common, sure — disagreements about the quality of meals or service are bound to happen in any restaurant setting. But police say the owner of one eatery took an argument with two customers a step too far when he fired a gun at their vehicle as they left the restaurant. Somewhat of an overreaction, no? [More]
Salem Restaurants Form Banishment Cabal: Mess Up At One, You’re Barred From All 24
By 10.15.12
The town of Salem, Massachusetts is bumping with Halloween revelers during its busiest month, October. But said revelry can be too much for the local eateries, which have banned together to deal with unruly customers. The “One Strike and You’re Out” policy is exactly what it sounds like — you mess up and you are outta there, no ifs ands or buts about it. [More]
Noodles And Company Takes My Complaint Seriously, Then Sort Of Stalks Me
By 10.15.12
Dustin was disappointed in a promotion at the restaurant Noodles and Company. He’s on their mailing list, and they shared a promotion offering free salads. Who doesn’t like free food? All you had to do was be online and go to the restaurant’s site at a certain time. That’s not so hard. He was poised at his computer five minutes before the free salads hit, refreshed the site and got… a page saying that all 500 salads had been claimed within seconds. That was impressive. He sent the company a sad e-mail, and wrote up a quick account of what happened for us to share his disappointment with the consumerverse. [More]
Quick-Serve Ads Vs. Reality: Panera Roasted Turkey And Cranberry Sandwich
By 10.9.12
Anderson tried a seasonal offering at Panera, the Roasted Turkey and Cranberry sandwich. The promotional photos made it look appetizing, but the sandwich that ended up on Anderson’s plate wasn’t. We know that speed is really important at Panera, and maybe this is just a hastily-assembled meal. Anderson decided to throw it away, leave the Panera, and then complain online. This plan was somewhat flawed. [More]
